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Dripping Springs ISD is looking forward to next year — for the Texas legislative session, of course.
The Texas state legislature will return for its 88th regular session on Jan. 10, 2023 after having met for three called sessions last fall after the regular session ended in May. Bills passed in the Texas legislature can have a large impact on education, schools and school districts, as was seen with House Bill 1525, which affected the public school finance system and public education, and Senate Bill 1615, which related to the adult high school charter school program. As a result, many school districts find it wise to address their own priorities for the upcoming session as a means of proactivity and preparation — Dripping Springs included.
According to Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz, DSISD priorities fall into five categories: recapture and education funding, local decision making, teacher retention and staffing shortages, fast-growth districts and construction of schools and charters. In her presentation at the DSISD Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, Oct. 24, she addressed multiple priorities within each of these.
Recapture and education funding: Support legislative efforts to reform Chapter 49 of the Texas Education Code ('Robin Hood') that will increase the state's funding for all school districts and lessen the reliance on recapture dollars. Further, all recapture dollars should be spent on education, ending the practice of the state supplanting its investment in education with recapture dollars.
Support increasing the Basic Allotment to help keep pace with inflation and bring per-pupil funding in Texas up to the national average. Additional investments in the Basic Allotment can also help reduce the growth of recapture while providing more dollars to educate students in all Texas public schools.
Support additional funding for special education.
Local decision making: Ensure all bond and tax rate election ballot language is clear, transparent and understandable. Revise required language that misleads voters and support measures that improve the clarity of existing ballot requirements for voters.
Advocate for local discretion in instructional planning and repeal of the accelerated learning committee requirements (HB 4545, 2021).
Teacher retention and staffing shortages: Support efforts to provide teacher housing allotments based on a sliding scale of the cost of housing in a district, earmarked as a supplement to teacher compensation. Support funding to keep up with inflation and to address geographic cost-of-living differentials that affect transportation and other staffing needs.
Advocate for the continuation of the current defined benefit pension program for TRS members and advocate for an annual cost-of-living adjustment for all retirees.
Advocate for increased state funding to assist with increased healthcare costs associated with TRSActiveCare and TRS-Care. Fast-growth districts and construction of schools: Support efforts to ensure public schools in fast-growth districts receive funding for building additional schools in order to meet state mandates for educating all students who move to a district. Support additional funding for school safety. Charters: Support legislative efforts to ensure charters are held to the same accountability standards as traditional public schools (including special education/504/special populations) and ensure charters will be subject to public oversight.
For more information on DSISD, its Board of Trustees and its legislative priorities, visit dsisdtx. us/Page/426.
